Public works departments and institutions are gearing up for yet another snowstorm on Tuesday. But the storm’s impact isn’t just about the precipitation or wind speeds. It’s about timing.
If Tuesday’s storm touches down in the morning and lasts through early evening as initially predicted, UNH may have to to curtail classes for a fifth time this year. That would be more cancelations in 2014 than any of the last 4 years.
But, Durham town manager Todd Selig says, timing that’s bad for UNH is often good for city government. That’s because overtime for plow drivers is so expensive:
If a storm arrives at 7am and if it finishes up by 4 or 5 pm, although that’s tough for schools and commuters, for us it’s perfect.
In the town of Somersworth, the highway operator overtime budget is already 100 percent expended for the season.
Overall, Selig says, snow cleanup for a town the size of Somersworth or Durham costs about $20,000 per storm.